One Click to Health

Illustration by Evgenia Nikolova

Michel Wenger is a physician who, by combining business and medical approach, has devoted his career to making patients feel comfortable and safe while searching for treatment and advice. Here he briefly and informatively explains what are the advantages of online health care.

Tell us a little more about yourself.

I grew up in Switzerland and studied Medicine in Germany and Business in the UK. I worked in various medical institutions in different countries. I have also used my business qualification and worked in management consulting, concentrating on healthcare. I have recently taken on a new challenge where I can use all my expertise of dealing with patients, technology and business for the benefit of the patient.

Your professional background is both medical and business, but where does your “heart” lie?

My heart is in healthcare. My default position is still Physician and

I believe that business and technology should serve healthcare for the benefit of society and the patients.

What are the advantages of the online doctor, apart from the obvious ones, such as time saving?

It’s an access to healthcare, which allows the patients to confront issues which they feel ashamed to discuss with their GP or are afraid of judgment traditionally associated with these diseases. The focus is on safety first, and then convenience, and we aim — and succeed — to provide high-standard services.

What are the ways to be sure no one is misusing your services?

We only treat specific conditions chosen for their safety profile and fit for remote consultation. On top of that, we have good screening and technical solutions, and together with strict adherence to laws and guidelines we are able to ensure patients’ safety and prevent risky behavior.

Everyone! The focus is mainly on services which patients are most likely to experience unease discussing face-to-face: such as sexual health topics and personal health matters.

Are people prejudiced about online medical services and what is your strategy to cope with that?

Usually prejudice prevails when people don’t fully understand what we offer and have never used this type of service. We are trying to change that by creating a safe and stable environment for our patients and making sure that we don’t give grounds for such doubts.

You were born in Switzerland, a country famous for being innovative in the medical field. Has that affected you in some way?

We are all citizens of the world. Growing up in a small country like Switzerland you understand that

innovation has to come from all the corners of the world to create truly great things.

It has certainly helped me understand we are all human beings and that innovation — backed by data — is destined to improve the quality of life significantly.

What do you like to do in your free time, how do you relax?

I cook! I like experimenting with different types of cuisine and my favorite book is “Gourmet cooking for dummies” (unfortunately out of print): it is invaluable for tips and tricks to build up a good foundation and repertoire in home cooking. To my wife’s disappointment, I even tried to enhance the Bulgarian version of moussaka with some new flavors.

What’s next for medicine?

Many more services, even in public health systems, are going to be digitalized in one way or another. The challenge will be to align these artificial intelligence improvements with keeping the services safe and personal. Also, primary disease prevention as well as personalized medicine will remain the focus for the coming years with ongoing innovation in treating serious diseases.